As the union representative for the Cubs this year, Ian Happ has taken crash courses in labor relations, public health and the economics of staging a 60-game season in the middle of a pandemic. Looking at Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 protocols for the playoff bubble, Happ noticed language about having to ask for permission to go for a walk outside your hotel room.
“That feels more like a zoo animal than a baseball player or a human,” Happ said in a matter-of-fact tone.
In simpler times, former Cubs manager Joe Maddon would bring the zoo animals to Wrigley Field. Road trips revolved around themes such as onesie pajamas, NFL jerseys and dressing like Pedro Strop, not prepackaged meals, personal protective equipment and self-isolation. But the Cubs are a first-place team with virtually a 100 percent chance to make the playoffs, in part, because they acknowledged the discipline and sacrifices it will take to stay healthy, protect their families and…
